Circuit-interrupter



H. G. MAcDONALD.

CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC29T 1915.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l ATTORNEY H. G. MACDONALD.

CIRCUIT INTERRUPTEH.

APPLlcATloN FILED DEc.29. 1915.

Patented Feb.10,1920.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

WITNEssEs:

INVENTOR Hang/d Madam/d ATTORNEY UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD G. MAGDONALD, OF MURRAYlLLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WEST- INGI-IOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

GIRCUI'r-INTERRUPTER.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.'

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, I-IownnD Gr. MACDON- ALD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Murraysville, in the countv of Vestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new vand useful Improve ment in Circuit-Interrupters, of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to circuit interrupters of the oil-immersed non-closable-onoverload type and particularly to the 'operating mechanism for such devices.

The object of my invention is to provide a manually-controlled operating and trip A ing device for a circuit interrupter of the a ove indicated character that sha-ll have means for eecting rapid engagement and disengagement of the contact members thereof when the operating handle is moved to predetermined positions.

Copending U. S. applicationSerial No. 586,093, filed October 8, 1910 by Ford lN. Harris and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, discloses a circuit interrupter of the oil-immersed non-closable-on-overload type having an operating mechanism that is permitted to operate independently of the operating handle. Frequently, it is desirable to connect the operating handle of a circuit interrupt-ei. of this type to the tie rod of a machine tool, such as a planer or other similar device. In such instances, it is desirable to have the circuit interrupter close when the handle reaches a predetermined position, irrespective of whether or not the handle has any further movement.

In order to adapt the circuit interrupter disclosed in the above mentioned application to operate when the handle assumes prey ing shaft of the interrupter and'v connected thereto through a spring.; The movement of the handle lever in one `direction is adapted to tension the spring. However, the operation of theshaft is restrained until the handle. lever reaches a predetermined position to thus permit quick closure of the interrupter. Further movement of the handle lever actuates the tripping shaft of the interrupter to permit tripping thereof when the handle lever assumes another predetermined position.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sidey elevational view, with parts broken away, of a circuit interrupter embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the manually-controlled operating and tripping device embodying my invention; Fig. 3 is a front view, partially in section and partially in elevation, of the device shown in Fig. 2; Figs. 4: and 5 are detail views of parts of the device shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of parts of the device shown in Fig. 1.

My invention comprises, in general, a circuit interrupter 1 having a supporting 'frame 2, an oil-containing tank 3, a stationary contact terminal 4, a movable cooperating contact member 5, a tripping electromagnet 6, a dash4 pot 7, a Calibrating mechanism 8, a tripping device 9, a. linkage mechanism 10 and a manually-controlled operating and tripping device 11.

The movable contact member 5 is suspended by a rod 12 from one end 13 of a bell-crank lever 14 that is pivotally mounted on a shaft 15. The remaining arm 16 of the bell-crank lever 14 is connected, through links 17 and 18, to an extension or projection 19 on the operating shaft 2O of the interrupter. The links 17 and 18,'constitute a toggle device and are provided with a roller 21 that is mounted on av pin 22 which connects the links together. A latch member 23 is loosely mounted on the shaft 20 and its outer end is provided with a notch 24 that 'is' adapted to engage a projection 25 which is mounted on the shaft 26 of the tripping device 9. The opposite end 27 o f the latch 23 constitutes a bearingmember that is engaged by the roller 21 under all conditions.

The tripping device 9 comprises, besides the projection 25 on the shaft 26, an arm 28 that isy adapted to be engaged by a tripping rod 29 which is operatively connected4 tothe movable members of the tripping electromagnet 6 and the dash pot 7. i

. The calibrating mechanism 8 comprises a lever member 30 the inner end ofwhich is mounted on a 'rotatable shaft 31 and the outer end of which is provided with a slot (notshown) to receive a calibration plate 32. A thumb screw 33 is also provided on the outer end of the lever member' 30 whereby it may be locked in any desired position witli-iespect to the calibration plate A member 34 also mounted on the shaft 31 and is provided with a lateral projection from which a. bracket member 36 is pivotally suspended. A supporting' member 37 for the outer casing of the dash pot 7 is supported by a rod 33 that is operatively suspended from the bracket 36. The bracket member 36 is adapted to occupy positions corresponding to the indication of the cali-- bration device 3, thereby controlling the load at which the circuit interruptor trips.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, the device 11 comprises a handle lever 39 that is loosely mounted on the shaft 20. The shaft 2O has a projection 40 mounted thereon that is connected by a spring 41 to the handle lever 39. The projection 40 is provided with a latch member 42 that is adapted to engagea restraining device 43 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 26. The restraining device 43 is normally held in engagement with the latch member 42 by a spring 44 and is provided with' a projection 45 that is adapted to be engaged by a projection 46 on the handle lever 39 when the latter has turned a predetermined distance. The projection 40 is provided with a stop 47 that is adapted to engage the casing 2 of the circuit interrupter to prevent movement thereof in the incorrect direction.

Vhen the handle lever 39 is moved in a clockwise direction, the spring 41 is tensioned and the shaft 20 is restrained from movement, because the restraining member 43 engages the latch member 42. However, when the projection 46 engages the projec tion 45 on the restraining device 43, the latter is moved out of engagement with the latch member 42 to permit the shaft 20 to turn to quickly actuate the movable contact member 5 through the extension or projection 19, the toggle links 17 and 18 and the bell-crank lever 14. The operation of the toggle links 17 and 18 causes the pivotally mounted latch member 23 to assume such position that the projection 25 engages the notch 24 in the outer end thereof to restrain the contact members 4 and 5 in their closed positions.

'An arm '48 is mounted on the shaft 26 and is provided, at one of its ends, with a pivotally-mounted cam member 49. The handle lever 39 is provided with a projection 50 that is adapted to tilt the cam member 49 to assume a position substantially as shown by the dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 5 when the handle lever 39 is moved to its extreme position in one direction. When the lever 39 is moved in the opposite direction, the cam member 49 being provided with a stop with respect to the arm 48, turns the shaft 26 to disengage 'the projection 25 from the notch 24 an-d thus permits the toggle links 17 and 18 to buckle and the contact members 4 and 5 to be disengaged.

It will, of course, be understood that, although I have shown and described a particular type of circuit interrupter, my invention may be applied to any other type of circuit interruptor without departing from the spirit and scope of the same as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An operating device for a circuit interrupter comprising a handle lever loosely mounted on the operating shaft of the interrupter, a projection mounted on the shaft, a spring connected between one end of the projection and one end of the handle lever, means for latching the projection in one position to thereby tension the spring and means dependent upon a predetermined movement of the handle lever to release the said projection to effect movement of the interrupter shaft.

2. A n operating device for the operating shaft of a circuit interrupter comprising a handle lever loosely mounted on the shaft, a spring operatively connected to the handle lever at one end and to the shaft at the other end, means for restraining the movement of the shaft and means dependent upon predetermined movement of the handle lever for releasing the restraining means to permit the spring to effect movement 0f the shaft.

3. An operating device for the shaft of a circuit interrupter comprising a handle lever loosely mounted on the shaft, a spring disposed between the handle lever and the shaft, means for restraining the movement of the shaft and means for releasing the shaft under predetermined conditions.

4. An operating device for the operating and tripping shafts of a circuit interruptor comprising a handle lever loosely mounted on the operating shaft, a spring disposed between the handle lever and the operating shaft, means loosely mounted on the trip'- ping shaft for restraining the movement of the operating shaft and means mounted on the tripping shaft that is adapted to be actuated by the handle lever to trip the interrupter. l

5. An operating device for the tripping and operating shafts of a circuit interrupter comprising a projection on the operating shaft, a handle lever relatively movable with respect to the operating shaft,'a spring disposed between the projection and the handle lever for effecting ouick movement of the shaft and a latch loosely mounted on the movement of the handle lever to trip the second latch to permitopening of the interrupter.

7. .fin operating device tor a circuit interrupter comprising a handle lever relatively movable with respect to the movable member of the interrupter, a spring disposed between the movable member and the handle lever, a loosely mounted latch for restrainingmovement of the movable member until the spring has been suliciently tensioned to ei:- iect rapid movement of the movable member, a cam member adapted to be actuated to trip the latch when the handle lever is moved to a predetermined position, and a second latch adapted to be actuated when the handle lever is moved to another position.`

8. An operating device for a circuit interrupter comprising a freely movable operating lever, a spring operatively connected between the movable member of the interrupter and the operating lever, means for latching the movable member, means on the operating lever for releasing the latching means when the operating lever has moved a predetermined distance in one direction, a second latching means and means on the operating lever for releasing the second latching means.

S). An operating device 'for a circuit interrupter comprising a freely movable handle, a spring operatively connected between the movable member of the interrupter and the handle, means for holding` the movable member in one position under predetermined conditions, means dependent upon the movement of the handle in one direction for releasing the movable member, a second holding means and means dependent on movement of the handle in the other direction for releasing the movable member. l

10. An operating device for a circuit interrupter comprising an operating handle, a spring connected between the movable member of the interrupter and the handle, a latch for the movable member, means on the operating handle for tripping the latch when the handle has moved a predetermined distance in one direction to permit the spring to close the interrupter through the movable member7 a second latch and means' on the operating handle for tripping the second latch to open the interrupter when the handle is moved in the opposite direction.

l1. An operating device for a movable member comprising an operating handle freely movable with respect to the movable member, a spring operatively connected between the handle and the movable member, a latch for restraining the movement of the movable member, means on the handle for releasing the latch when the handle has moved a predetermined distance in one direction, a second latch and means for releasing the second latch when the handle is moved in the other direction under predetermined conditions.

12. fin operating device for a circuit interrupter Comprising an operating handle, a spring connected between the movable member of the interrupter and the handle, a latch for the movable member, means on the operating handle for tripping the latch when the handle has moved a predetermined distance in one direction to permit the spring to close the interrupter through the movable member, a second latch and means on the operating handle for tripping the second latch to open the interrupter when the handle is moved in one direction a predetermined distance and then in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of Dec. 1915.

HOWARD G. MACDONALD. 

